GOOD HEALTH 27Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Varmam is an ancient Indian healingtechnique that helps special childrenas well as those with high BP, joint

pain and other serious ailments

IT WAS Bala Narayanswamy’ssearch for a music therapist forhis 12-year-old son with learn-ing disabilities, Vinayak, whichled to his discovery of var-mam. An ancient Indian

technique with origins in the 5thcentury, varmam is based on thepremise that there is life energyflowing through our body anddisease occurs as a result ofimbalance in this energy.Pressing specific points onthe body can restore this bal-ance and provide relief fromdiscomfort.

Within six months of receiving thistherapy, Vinayak’s conditionimproved noticeably. “Though thereis no dramatic progress, his intelli-gence and cognitive skills haveimproved — he is now able to perceivethe consequences of his own actions,”Bala says. At a physical level, Vinayak’seyesight has improved while there is aclear change in his gait which was faultyearlier because of difference in length of thetwo legs.

Arts Research Institute (ARI), a charitabletrust that has been spreading the science ofvarmam, has 18 treatment centres acrossIndia covering Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,Andhra Pradesh and New Delhi, with around20,000 patient visits every month.

BASED ON EXTENSIVE TAMIL TEXTSTHOUGH varmam seems similar to acupres-sure, the approach differs somewhat since it isbased on its own extensive texts of physiology,anatomy, diagnosis and treatment written onpalm leaves in Tamil language. “The forceapplied in varmam is much less than in acu-pressure. There are 8,000 points in varmamand 48 different ways to stimulate them.Hence we can treat several diseases from thesame point. In addition, varmam has a uniqueherbal-based pharmacology for advanced andchronic diseases,” says Mahesh Jayaraman,who treats patients free of cost at the Delhicentre of ARI.

Vinayak’s mother Geetha learned the tech-nique and now gives therapy sessions to the12-year-old at home. “It has proved to be anempowering tool for us and does not cost apenny,” she says. Varmam practitioners don’tclaim to offer an absolute cure for special chil-dren. “The technique is a support therapy andimproves their functional behaviour makingthem more independent which means a lot totheir families. There are several instances ofhyperactive and angry kids calming down andacquiring better concentration,”Mahesh points out.

HEALS PAINWHEN a truck rammed into V.Chandrashekhar near KarolBagh in 1995, severely injuringhis spine, he had no idea that hisinjury would bother him over adecade later. At that point, doc-tors diagnosed dislocation of thespine and he was confined tobed for one year. However, med-icines and physiotherapy puthim back on the track. “Therewas no visible change in the X-rays or MRIs, but I was able tofunction normally,” the 37-year-old recalls. Life carried on, andChandrashekhar completed hiseducation, landed a good joband got married. And then oneday the symptoms returned.

“One fine morning I felt painradiating from my spine to thetoe. It became so intense that Iwas not able to sit at a stretch.This started affecting my workand I had to quit my job. ThoughI consulted various doctors,nobody could tell me why mypain was back,” he recalls. Noth-ing worked till he tried varmam.The pressing of specific points onhis body to restore what practi-tioners call the blocked energyhas helped improve his condi-

By MANU MOUDGIL

tion. “There was less pain and mystamina increased in 6-7 months.It has been a year now since I hadmy last varmam session andthere has been no recurrence ofthe symptoms,” Chandrashekharsays. Today, he runs a restaurantand drives himself around town.

MANY ADVANTAGESVARMAM has several advantages:It has no adverse effects, a sessiondoes not take much time and thecost is minimal. Though there is noextensive scientific evidence tosupport varmam yet, practitionersare making efforts to conduct clin-

ical trials. Tamil professor and var-mam master Dr N Shunmugom,who is trying to get the techniqueits due attention, has trained morethan 1,000 registered medical prac-titioners, of which 200 are allo-pathic doctors who use varmamalong with their regular treatmentmethods. “The amount of reliefpatients get by combining thistechnique with modern medicineis amazing. I have seen so manypeople who are recommendedjoint or hip replacements but arerelieved of their pain after tryingvarmam,” says Dr S Yoganathan,head of orthopaedics, PerunduraiMedical College and Hospital.

NOT A MIRACLE CUREVARMAM does not work foreverybody and practitioners arefrank about it. There are somepatients who don’t respond tothe therapy. “We ask patients togive at least three months beforeexpecting results. In my practiceI have seen that those above theage of 80 don’t respond very well.Also, diseases of the skin, hairand piles can’t be treated usingpressure points on the body.There are herbal medicines rec-ommended under varmam forsuch ailments,” Mahesh says.

manu.moudgil@mailtoday.in

Varmam has been aboon for the family

THE DEEPMARTIAL

CONNECTION

YOGA and var-mam areclosely related.Yoga posturesproperly tunethe nerve sys-tem along the var-mam points resulting in reg-ulated blood flowthroughout the body. Everyyoga asana has its effect oncertain group of varmampoints enabling properhealth, flexibility, mobilityand physique.

VARMAM &YOGA ASANAS

‘It was an accidental discovery’IT WAS his interest in yoga that ledto Mahesh Jayaraman’s discoveryof varmam. “I wanted to get intouch with Dr N Shunmugom toget interpretation of a traditionalTamil text on yoga since he is anauthority in that field. Somebodytold me he was devoting all hisfree time in teaching varmam andto get hold of him, I had to attendthe training sessions,” Maheshrecalls. That was enough to catch

Mahesh’s attention as he went onto repeat the workshop and alsodid advanced training in varmam.It was in 2007 that he startedtreating his first case, a friend’sdaughter who is a special child. “Idid not learn varmam to heal oth-ers but my friend’s daughter gotbetter and before I knew I wastreating people in Delhi. Now Itake out time twice a week toattend to patients,” he says.

A special branch ofvarmam medicine is

therapeutic massage:techniques are cus-tomised for various bodyparts. Legs, hands, eyes,ears and even sexualorgans have their ownperfectly distinct mas-sage methods. Wholebody massage, nerve-related massage, bonemassage and flesh mas-sage are the ever-expanding sub-divisions.

KALARIPPAYATTU is theancient martial art of Keralaand includes a hand combattechnique which works onvarmam pressure points.Attacking these points in acertain fashion can immo-bilise the opponent. How-ever, the points used in themartial art form are seateddeep inside the body and nottouched during medical var-mam treatment. Medicalpractitioners, always presentduring these martial artclasses, help revive theattacked individual by tuningthe pressure points in a spe-cific pattern to regulateblood flow, temperature andpranic flow in the body.

RAMESH SHARM

A